Just a regular guy...who "woke up"

No one who knows me would describe me as a radical. Liberal, for sure, particularly on social issues. And to be honest I DID grow up in Berkeley—participating fully in the counterculture of the 60’s (and the 70’s too!). But those days are long gone and for years I’ve been pretty happy helping to raise my wonderful son, growing my photography business, poking around in the vegetable garden and trying like hell to be a good husband/partner. As Berkeley boys go I’m a lightweight when it comes to radical politics, conspiracy theories, or having a massive distrust of our government. Of course I did (and still do) vehemently disagree with and question many policies and information being fed to us by our fearless leaders at the national (and to a lesser degree the state) level, but I’ve frankly been “too busy” most of the time to do much else but follow the news, vote my conscience, and swear on occasion at the TV or newspaper. I've pretty much considered myself a regular guy just trying to make a living.

But about a year and a half ago this started to change. After watching Al Gore’s landmark film “An Inconvenient Truth,” I started a process of reading everything I could find on the subject of climate change and environmental degradation to decide if the information was accurate, truthful and really as dire as depicted. I read books, articles, White Papers, technical reports, and Blogs. I watched other documentaries. I attended over 25 large and small-scale symposiums, conferences, seminars, classes and talks. I joined my local Sierra Club Chapter’s Climate and Energy Committee, joined the steering committee of a grassroots effort to promote renewable solar energy use in Sonoma County called Solar Sonoma County, and was asked if I'd be interested in running for a position on the Executive Committee of Sonoma Group of the Sierra Club—which I am doing.

During my research I even became a Vegan (OK, I admit my friends did think this was somewhat radical!) after reading the U.N’s 2006 report on Animal Agriculture and a book called “The China Study,” which provide ample evidence of the massively negative effects that consumption of animals and animal-based products have both on our health and on our environment.

In short, I plugged in and learned. And learned. And am still learning.

So what conclusion have I come to in my research thus far?

While I am no scientist I am relatively intelligent, diligent, and reasoned. My research has convinced me that we are facing the biggest challenge we humans have ever faced, but I also believe we have the power to lessen the worst impacts (at least for most of the world’s population) by implementing and integrating sustainable thinking and strategies into our energy infrastructure, businesses, and personal lives as quickly as possible. Climate change is real, substantially caused by human activities, massively documented across the globe by thousands of scientists, and happening faster than anyone predicted. While little, if anything in climate forecasting is absolutely certain, and there is certainly room for disagreement and dissenting opinions on certain aspects of the global warming debate, it would be absolutely foolish and irresponsible to not act on the scientific consensus we now have, worldwide, on this subject.

We’re in serious trouble, folks, and we need to address it NOW and in a huge way over the next 10 to 20 years or we may lose the ability to effect any change at all.

I would urge you NOT to believe the many industry-paid or connected deniers and naysayers who, in well-documented cases reminiscent of the tactics used by scientists on the payroll of big tobacco to deny the negative health effects of cigarettes, have been shown to be unconscionably fomenting doubt in the public's mind simply to delay the expensive reforms which will be required to fully account for the industry-caused pollution (which has up to now been externalized—paid for by the public— instead of factored into the cost of doing business).

But don’t just take my word for it. Start reading up on it yourself and take the time to go to a meeting on climate change if you see one.

Here are just a few interesting links to get you started:

UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment

National Climate Data Center

California Attorney General’s Office Global Warming Website

In spite of my findings on this somewhat gloomy topic I have at the same time been heartened by what I have learned about the massive response to the building environmental crises that have been rising up across the planet over the last 5 decades. This “movement” is well documented in Paul Hawken’s newest book Blessed Unrest, which I highly recommend.

Environmental Activism's Paradox by Rick Bass

Here is a superb, erudite, thought-provoking article by Rick Bass on the paradox and challenges of environmental activism in our modern society:

Activism’s Paradox Mountain

Thanks to Leslie Sheridan for sending me this link. She’s a poet, activist, and consultant who publishes a free Peace and Justice newsletter which I just subscribed to. To get a free copy of The Carpe Diem Voice, send an email with “P&J” in the subject line along with the name of the state in which you live to CarpeDiemVoice@aol.com.